Meaning & use
on the nose
Exactly accurate or precisely as expected, or, in writing and film, too obvious and literal to feel natural.
See it in a sentence
His prediction for the election results was right on the nose, down to the margin of victory.
The critic said the dialogue was too on the nose, with characters stating their feelings directly instead of implying them.
A note on using this word
In storytelling and screenwriting, calling dialogue 'on the nose' is a criticism, implying it lacks subtlety even though the phrase generally means accurate elsewhere.
Words with a similar meaning
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